Grow Your Kids with Fruits and Vegetables

Bringing Knowledge to Life! / Partner Report /
Ontonagon County
Courthouse, 725 Greenland Road
Ontonagon, Michigan 49953
Phone: 906-884-4386 / E-mail:
Fax: 906-884-2582
Web: msue.msu.edu/ontonagon
Director: Frank Wardynski
January 2010

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

Grow Your Kids with Fruits and Vegetables

To help area residents learn about good nutrition, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Education (SNAP-Ed) instructor, Kathie Preiss promoted a summer 2009 program called “Grow your Kids with Fruits and Vegetable.”

Sponsored by the Michigan Nutrition Network (MNN), “Grow Your Kids” is intended to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by disseminating a consistent message about the value of fresh fruits and vegetables in a child’s diet.

A kick-off event was held at the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department in Ontonagon for Women Infant and Children (WIC) program participants featuring information from MNN. Families tasted test red and green peppers and several types of apples.

Parents were surprised at their kids’ reaction to eating vegetables they had never tried before. One parent said she had never bought red peppers because she felt they were too expensive, but after seeing how much her child enjoyed it they would definitely get some.

Preiss talked to the parents about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and gave them tips on how to incorporate them into their meal plans along with ways to encourage their children to eat them.

Preiss, along with Ontonagon County MSU Extension director Frank Wardnyski, set up a booth at the local farm market, where visitors good get “Grow Your Kids” measuring cups, spoons, mouse pads, reusable grocery bags and cutting boards.

Visitors sampled a Mediterranean salad that was loaded with vegetables and Preiss and Wardynski stressed the importance of incorporating fruits and vegetable into the diet. Recipes were provided for the salad effort to encourage participants to make their own.

Some participants said they had never had a garden before and had planted one this year and were looking forward to the fresh vegetables. Information was available discussing various methods of dehydrating fruits and vegetables.

Preiss also promoted the program with individual SNAP-Ed clients during home visits with them. She encouraged them to shop for and prepare more meals with fresh vegetables and fruits. As a result, she felt more of the families were purchasing more than before.

The program was a great motivator for nutrition education for county residents with the emphasis on adding more fruit and vegetable to their diets.

Western Upper Peninsula “Get Outdoors Summit”

Research shows that today's youngsters spend less time outdoors than any previous generation.In addition to being fun, outdoor time provides a connection to nature and improves feelings of well-being among youth and adults.

To encourage western U.P. youngsters to develop an appreciation for nature, a committee made up of staffers from several entities came together to plan the first “Get Outdoors Summit.”

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Get Outdoors Summit--continued

Collaborators came from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the U.S. Forest Service, the Michigan Technological University K-12 Center for Math and Science and MSU Extension 4-H.

The summit’s goal was to promote the benefits of getting children outdoors to area educators, community leaders, health care professionals and natural resource agencies.

To support the committee’s efforts, Ontonagon County 4-H program instructor Jody Maloney raised nearly $6,000 in grants and donations from Michigan 4-H, Plum Creek Timber Company, the National Wildlife Federation, the Michigan No Child Left Inside Coalition and the Keweenaw Land Trust.

Everything came together in November 2009, when the Western U.P. Get Outdoors Summit was held in Silver City with nearly 100 participants.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Denise Mitten, from Ferris State University, discussed why it is essential for everyone to get outdoors more often--for mental, physical, emotional and social health. Participants learned how groups were getting outdoors locally in the fields of education, natural resources and community development. A local plan was created in an effort to engage both youngsters and their communities in the conversation about spending more time in nature.
The feedback related to the summit was very positive, with participants stating that, "[it] was the best professional development they've ever attended." The actions of the summit participants reflected this, as more than 30 educators took home the 4-H outdoor education curricula.Western U.P. teachers from Baraga and Houghton counties have started book groups around Richard Louv's book, “Last Child in the Woods,” which was free for the Summit participants.

The summit planning committee has been asked to lead a half-day teacher in-service at the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District so that more teachers can learn about the benefits of getting their classrooms into nature.

The Gogebic County Soil Conservation is teaming up with Vicki Nelson, Gogebic County MSU Extension 4-H program instructor, to plan a Get Outdoors Day in the county in early June.

Three presenters at the 2009 Summit are offering workshops at the annual 2010 Upper Peninsula 4-H Leadermete promoting science and the outdoors to 4-H leaders from across the U.P.

Ontonagon County youths can enjoy a “Get Outdoors Day” at the Adventure Mountain in Greenland in late February. More local youth events from the U.S. Forest Service are in the planning stages.

Grassroots effort in schools and in the communities is growing into a “kids and nature” movement thanks to 4-H and the community partners who donated to the cause.

Ontonagon County Partnership Forms

Ontonagon County is filled with rich environmental resources, beautiful natural features and tourist attractions and communities of hard-working people. In the wake of a year-long struggle with unemployment from indefinite layoffs and business closures, the Ontonagon County Board of Commissioners recognized a need to create a strong network of local advocates to bring economic development and business opportunities into the area.

In response, commissioners approached county Extension director Frank Wardynski in early November to spearhead a partnership to revitalize Ontonagon County’s communities, especially the former sites of the shipyard in Ontonagon, and plan for a forecasted closure of the Smurfit-Stone Container paper mill.

Wardynski identified potential partners, including community leaders who could help develop a mission and work toward specific goals. Nearly 70 individuals joined the partnership and are modeling their efforts around Marquette County’s Lake Superior Community Partnership. The group’s mission and goals are focused on Ontonagon County’s specific needs for employment, economic development and business infrastructure.

The partnership created two strategic committees: a finance committee to identify funding sources and leverage dollars to support an economic development director position in the county, and an alternative energy committee to seek out entrepreneurs and existing businesses to develop or expand their work to Ontonagon County.